Sometimes I have a hard time time coming to terms with the fact that you’ll be two, since for me, time has stood still during this pandemic. Much like my desk calendar in the city, my mind is stuck in March. You know, back before you even knew how to walk? So how can it be that you’re two? On the other hand, it seems like I’ve been telling you forever that you don’t “get” to wear a mask until you’re two! Just a little bit longer to wait, we keep telling you. (Don’t think it’s lost on me that the biggest marker of you turning two will be that you need to be masked now - what a perfect snapshot of our world).
A Baby Toddler Update
These days all blur together and disappear so quickly that I’m worried I’m going to forget everything about them. Besides the fact that my brain doesn’t seem to be working right now, I feel like I haven’t written anything down in a while. So bear with me as I try to put together some semblance of an update on not so baby G.
Currently G is napping, but I just heard “leh-low!” over the baby monitor. I can’t tell if he’s dreaming about his favorite color, or he just woke up and decided to start naming things he loves.
Tiny Toddler Update
Our littlest toddler is the best.
You couldn’t ask for a better quarantine buddy. Well you could, because he’s also an angry little tyrant who demands food constantly and runs away when you try and change his diaper, but he’s the best mood booster. Recently I taught him how to give hugs, and it’s the best thing ever. I don’t know why it’s taken me this long. But now I’ll tell him to give me a hug and he’ll grab one of my shoulders in each hand and squeeze them as hard as he can while grunting. Seriously, who couldn’t use a hug like that?
A Letter from Mama
Dear G and E,
I wonder when you grow up, if you’ll remember this time. Is this one of those things that is so life changing that it will forever be one of your earliest memories? Or will you only repeat stories you’ve been told over and over. Although you’re young, you’re aware that things are different now, even if you don’t understand why.
We Have a WALKER!
Well, another walker I guess.
But baby G is finally walking! Or he did it twice, and hopefully he’ll decide it’s something he likes, and will continue to do it. I’m so sick of having my phone out all day, every day, waiting for the moment. Because it felt like it was going to happen all month. He’s been standing and almost taking steps, but deciding he didn’t really want to. He’d rather crawl, or “walk” on his knees.
15 Months
Well hello there, 15 Months!
I was talking to the director of our daycare recently, and mentioned how happy G seems to be there, and in the non-infant room now. She replied “He’s just happy to be HERE,” waving her arms around “in life!” It’s pretty true. It doesn’t really matter what we’re doing or where we’re going, G is thrilled to be a part of it. The more he learns about life, the more he is enthusiastic about joining in.
A Baby Update
I’ve stopped doing monthly updates now that G is one, which means it feels like forever since I’ve given everyone an update on this little one. I’m starting to wonder if I can even call him the baby anymore. Every day he becomes more and more a toddler, and his older brother becomes more and more a big kid and less and less a toddler. Still, I find myself calling G by “baby” more often than not. My boss has started to call me out on it every time I mention “the baby” in a story. But for now, I’ll give you an update on baby G.
In a lot of ways, G is a typical second child. Both his reactions and actions are completely the opposite of his older sibling. Anything E was/is afraid of, G loves. Anything that’s E favorite, G could care less.
A Cake Smash That Wasn't
My boss has been telling me for a while that two children this close together will be complete opposites. (He should know, since last year he had three children in the same high school). If your first child loves to clean, get ready for your second child to never clean a thing. It doesn’t matter what it is, they’re just going to be different.
ONE YEAR
I’ve been counting down for this for a year, but still somehow I can’t believe that we’re here. I barely remember you as an infant, those days were so long ago. And these last 6 months have flown by.
You are so much fun right now. Always laughing, always moving. You’re still “talking” and mimicking us all like crazy, and have started pointing all over the place to tell us your opinions and what you’d like. You have strong feelings and get angry quick if I tell you that you can’t have my phone or something else you want.
Eleven Months!
Holy cow, only one month to go!
I know I keep saying this, but I’m shocked this is where we are. How are you almost a year old? I feel like we’ve all survived some big battle and have come out victorious! We’ve survived, everyone is happy (mostly), and we’re really figuring out this family of four thing. Not that I didn’t think we’d get here, but I’m so proud of all that we’ve accomplished this past year, and it’s gone by so quickly! (When I sleep I forget all those rough months and I’m much happier - remember that!)
The Not So Little Baby
Big developments in the baby department!!
Guys, little G has been busy. For starters, he has a tooth! We’re not really sure when it came, but it’s pretty recent, since it’s not all the way down. Looking at him, it’s the top right side of his mouth (not the middle teeth that everyone else but our children get first..). I think he’s the winner. I’ll have to go back and look at when I got my first teeth, but it was 10-11 months I think. And we all know that E was 14 months. Also, there is another one on the top left that is cutting through currently, and there are some spots on the bottom that look like they could become teeth soon.
But we’re a bit surprised we didn’t notice. It was a big deal with E, and he’d only eat soft food for a few days when his tooth came, but we’ve noticed no changes in G’s eating. He still eats everything, anything, all the things.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN
A more detailed post with costumes coming (get excited!), but I’ll give you a special treat for today.
I’m not sure why I didn’t do this with E. Probably because I was an overwhelmed first time parent and this was too much work, but it definitely would have been easier. Mostly because E was only 5 months old at his first Halloween and small for his age, and G… isn’t.
Baby G is His Own Person
G is a very different baby than E was. Two years in, we feel like we understand our toddler pretty well. We know how to comfort him, how to put him back to sleep if he wakes up, what makes him happy and what doesn’t. And it’s lead us to a false sense of confidence that we know babies/children in general.
But G is a very different baby.
Nine Months
Baby, baby, baby. You are such a fun addition to our family. Your laugh, your faces, your happy little grab onto my arms when I bounce you up and down and you snuggle your face into me.
You’re happy as long as you’re a part of whatever’s going on. If someone walks into another room, you squirm after them as quickly as possible, and if you’re having trouble keeping up, or they vanish out of your sight, you’ll start screaming until someone picks you up. Sometimes you’ll just decide that you’re done on the floor and you’ll squirm right up to someone’s feet and look up at them with your big eyes until we grab you.
Bits and Pieces of a Baby
It had been coming for a while, but we finally did it. Baby G is no longer in a bucket seat. Poor thing was pretty uncomfortable in there. His feet were hanging way over the edge, which meant that more than once we’d stubbed his toe against a car, door or wall as we were trying to carry him in the seat. His head was nearing the top, and he could easily grab the handle with both of his hands. I’d be driving and look back and he’d be holding on to each side like it was a roller coaster and he was afraid to let go.
Six Months
Holy personality baby!
I think month 6 is when things click for me. You’ve gone from generic baby who sits there and we fulfill needs, to a tiny adorable person. You’re fun now, you smile and laugh and interact. You’ll grab at our faces and try to eat our nose. You’ll laugh if I pretend to bite your hand. You still don’t give laughs away very easily, and increasingly make us work harder to get them, but they’re so rewarding when we do. Your personality is coming out more and more every day, and I love it.
Five Months
Didn’t I just post one of these? This month FLEW by. I wish I could say it’s because you’re sleeping, but nothing is consistent there. We actually started out the month with you sleeping through the night and doing GREAT, but then you started rolling and hit your 4 month sleep regression and everything changed. You can’t really roll from your belly to your back, so that makes you incredibly angry in the middle of the night, and you’re still trying to figure out what to do with your hands. So we’re all tired. So tired.
Four Months
You’ve done a lot of growing this past month, and I finally feel like I can say that I know you a bit. While you’re getting more and more content playing alone, you’re still happiest hanging out in our arms. When I do set you down to play, you’ve started to bat at toys and grab a few even. You’re getting frustrated that your hands don’t work the way you want them to, but you get so excited when you actually grab a toy.
You suck on everything, especially your fingers. You often have at least three fingers in your mouth at a time, and recently you’ve started sucking on your arm. Whatever you can get. (And when you can get one of our fingers, you go for that too!)
A Baby Update
Here’s something that surprises no one with kids: The first three months are HARD. Really hard. It’s pure survival mode, everyone is crying, no one is sleeping, and this blob that you’re spending every second of your day taking care of, doesn’t thank you at all.
And then you hit the three month mark. And things start to change.
Three Months
END OF THE 4th TRIMESTER!! YAY!!!
Ahem.
Little babies are squishy and adorable and wonderful. And exhausting and they don’t play very much and they don’t sleep very much and when you’re still dealing with healing and hormones and everything… it’s just nice to be at a point where things are getting easier. And more fun.